Puerto Rico Comic Con 2012

Every year in Puerto Rico, the last week of May brings thousands and thousands of people waiting in line for Puerto Rico Comic Con. You can see the joy on everyone’s faces, since the convention is a huge deal here; it would be completely depressing to miss it. When I first arrived, I saw was Kratos from God of War and had an epic fanboy moment in the car. Then, the second I got out of the car, I saw Luffy fromOne Piece, and I knew the weekend was going to be big.

Cosplayers, Cosplayers, Everywhere!

As soon you enter the Convention Center in San Juan, it’s like an otaku heaven. You see your favorite anime and video game characters everywhere, as well as a game area right at the entrance, and you just know that this will be a weekend you’ll never forget. For me, this was one of the cons I’ll always remember since I met a lot of people and finally met up with people from various groups. This year, the con was one of the first to feature a group of Homestuck cosplayers, making many Homestuck fans around the web particularly happy. For fans of more classic cosplay, there are always people cosplaying as Super Sentai, as well. New- or old-school, there’s something for everybody—and for me, an Optimus Prime and Bumblebee cosplayer that gave me another fanboy moment.

Special Guests

Like every Comic Con, Puerto Rico Comic Con hosts a variety of special guests, from childhood heroes to famous actors. This year, the special guests were Jason David Frank (Tommy Oliver from Power Rangers), Liam O’Brien (Gaara from Naruto), and DC guests Dan Didio and Greg Capullo, as well as Joel Madureria, Toshio Maeda, and many more.

Crew and Personnel

Well, the Puerto Rico Comic Con staff were awesome this year. If you had any problems or questions, they were glad to help you. If you caused any problems, however, they would take you outside and forbid you to cause any more trouble.

Shops and Rare Plushies

As in previous years, convention vendors had Puerto Rico’s local anime, games, and collectibles for sale. Comic Con is one of those times of year when adults feel like children at Christmas, and I used the occasion to go on a shopping spree. Besides the usual things you expect to find at Comic Con, vendors also bring candy, juice, and rare items for the fans. The prices are decent and cheap compared to an online store or shipment from Japan itself. If you come to Puerto Rico Comic Con, I recommend saving up a lot of money to buy items that you might not be able to find anywhere else.

Problems and People

While I was at the Jason David Frank panel, there was a guy who got in the way of a staff member and almost made Jason David Frank leave. I also encountered a few cosplayers who thought of themselves as high and mighty; some even called each other names or claimed that they could do better cosplays. I also heard from a friend that there was a stalker following teenage attendees. However, aside from a few troublemakers, the convention didn’t have any major problems.

Extras!

Like every year, the convention hosted skits, cosplay battles, and contests; there were also giveaways, video game battles, and card battles. In the main stage, they played anime and video game music, so anywhere you went, you felt like you belonged in the con. The lines for the guests were crowded but pretty well-handled, so it only took a few minutes to meet the guests and fulfill your dreams.

Conclusion

Overall, this Comic Con was one of the best I have ever attended. It is great to meet people who share things in common with you, and you get to learn new things and enjoy seeing the various people in attendance. So if you’re ever in Puerto Rico in the last week of May, I suggest you visit Comic Con. You’ll definitely have a good time.